Again, Pongrapee attributes this to the upheavals and economic instability of their times.
“These days, young people prioritise self-exploration and instant gratification, not marriage or having kids,” he observes. “They choose to live for the moment, for good memories and experiences.”
This fluidity is part of the appeal. They can drift into or out of situationships, taking their time to “discover themselves first”. And for some of them, Pongrapee adds, the eventual “safe space” may be to remain single.
In 2022, dating platform Tinder saw a 49 per cent rise in users adding “situationship” to their profiles. For some young singles, situationships were a preferred way to “develop a relationship with less pressure”, an in-app survey found.
As for Dat, the “single life” he leads offers the freedom to prioritise work, finances and personal ambitions.
“People with jobs like mine, who still have a lot of fun or need youth and appearance for work, may want to prolong their younger years to succeed in their career,” he says.
